Different tactics
Chapter 6: Nightmares
"What's the plan Gris?" Catherine wanted to know as she and Warrick sat down in Grissom's office. "Nick's too close to the case, Hell we all are, but him especially. He can't work on it. Greg won't be allowed to process the evidence and he can't for the next few days anyway. Ohhh I want to strangle that Nigel Crane with my bare hands."
"Easy Cath," Warrick knew how maternal she felt over the team and how it was slowly tearing her apart to see Greg in such pain and Nick tore up with guilt. "We all want to nail Crane but we need to make sure we bring him to justice. If you kill him then technically he gets away with everything he's done."
"He's right," Grissom sighed and massaged his temples with his fingers. "I want you two on the case. Sara will discreetly look after Nick. He'd flip out if he knew someone was watching over him and Sara's the only one of us, besides Greg, that he completely trusts right now. Sara and Nick can take care of any other cases that get called in and I'll be here in case we get swamped. I'll keep my eye on Greg and make sure he's comfortable and, hopefully, sleeping peacefully."
"All right," Catherine stood up and Warrick followed her example. "I'll let you know if we find anything. We'll process Greg's house first and talk to the doctor who examined him."
"I'll go let Sara and Nick know what's going on," Grissom lead them out into the hall. "Be careful you two. It seems Nigel Crane will hurt anybody as long as it somehow affects Nick. I'm going to check on Greg now. Call me once you're on your way to the hospital and I'll let you know how he's doing."
The group parted ways and Grissom quickly made his way to the lounge where he'd left Nick in charge of watching Greg. He walked into the room to find Greg still asleep, as he expected, but he also found that Nick had cried himself to sleep in Sara's arms. She was stroking his hair gently, trying to comfort him even in his sleep and he held Greg's hand, trying to protect him.
"Hey Gris," Sara whispered, not wanting to disturb the sleeping duo. "I'm guessing you put Catherine and Warrick on the Crane case? And Nicky and I are going to handle anything else that may come up right?"
"You always were smart Sara," Grissom smiled at his former student. He sat down on one the chairs facing the couch so he could see Greg. "Nick's blaming himself for this isn't he? I had a feeling he would feel responsible."
"I think he'll be all right," Sara said, still stroking Nick's hair. "He broke down about a half-hour ago then cried himself to sleep. I was scared we would have to give him one of Greg's sedatives to calm him down but luckily it wasn't necessary. I'm probably going to go home with Nick and Greg, seeing as how neither of them is in any shape to be alone. Have you told Brass what happened yet?"
"Yes," Grissom grimaced as he remembered the conversation he'd had with his friend. "He was extremely shocked to say the least. He's going to try and keep our case load down so Catherine and Warrick can work freely on finding Crane. Ecklie probably won't be too pleased about that but he'll just have to deal."
"Don't speak of people behind their backs Grissom," Ecklie said loudly as he entered the lounge. He didn't notice or didn't care that he woke up Nick with all his clanging around as he got himself a coffee. "One of you want to wake Saunders up for me? I need him to work some overtime."
"He's on sick leave Ecklie," Grissom tried to keep his voice down so as not to wake Greg. "You should have gotten a message from Brass telling you that Greg was ordered by a doctor not to work for a few days. Or did you forget to check your messages again."
"Stop making excuses Grissom," Ecklie made his way over to the couch before anyone could stop him. He didn't notice Greg slowly waking up but grabbed his wrist, intending to pull him to his feet. "Time to work Gregory."
"No, no, not again," Greg whimpered and tried to pull away from Ecklie. Ecklie only tightened his grip and rolled his eyes at what he thought was a lazy lab tech. "No, no, no, no. Someone help. Stop him. Nick? Grissom? Someone help."
"Ecklie get away from him," Grissom growled and forcefully removed Ecklie's grip from Greg's wrist. Greg immediately backed into a corner of the room, tears of fear streaming down his face. "Nick, Sara, take care of Greg. Here are the sedatives just in case. Ecklie, my office now!"
"Greggo, it's okay," Nick crawled over to where Greg was sitting. "You're in the lounge at work. You're safe. No ones going to hurt you. There's only Sara and me here. It's all right. You're safe."
Sara could see that they were not going to be able to calm Greg down by themselves and hoped they could convince him to take a sedative. It was probably the only way they were going to be able to get Greg calm.
"Greggo," Sara slowly approached the sobbing young man with the pill in her hand. She held it out to him, her hand flat so he could see that she wasn't going to try and grab him. "It's Sara, Greg. I need you to take this pill for me all right? It'll make you go to sleep and you'll feel better."
Greg looked at her for a moment before reaching out to take the pill. It took almost a full minute before the sedative to take effect then Greg's eyelids slowly started to close. Within minutes he was asleep again and Nick carried him back over to the couch. He and Sara both hoped this time Greg would have a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 6: Nightmares
"What's the plan Gris?" Catherine wanted to know as she and Warrick sat down in Grissom's office. "Nick's too close to the case, Hell we all are, but him especially. He can't work on it. Greg won't be allowed to process the evidence and he can't for the next few days anyway. Ohhh I want to strangle that Nigel Crane with my bare hands."
"Easy Cath," Warrick knew how maternal she felt over the team and how it was slowly tearing her apart to see Greg in such pain and Nick tore up with guilt. "We all want to nail Crane but we need to make sure we bring him to justice. If you kill him then technically he gets away with everything he's done."
"He's right," Grissom sighed and massaged his temples with his fingers. "I want you two on the case. Sara will discreetly look after Nick. He'd flip out if he knew someone was watching over him and Sara's the only one of us, besides Greg, that he completely trusts right now. Sara and Nick can take care of any other cases that get called in and I'll be here in case we get swamped. I'll keep my eye on Greg and make sure he's comfortable and, hopefully, sleeping peacefully."
"All right," Catherine stood up and Warrick followed her example. "I'll let you know if we find anything. We'll process Greg's house first and talk to the doctor who examined him."
"I'll go let Sara and Nick know what's going on," Grissom lead them out into the hall. "Be careful you two. It seems Nigel Crane will hurt anybody as long as it somehow affects Nick. I'm going to check on Greg now. Call me once you're on your way to the hospital and I'll let you know how he's doing."
The group parted ways and Grissom quickly made his way to the lounge where he'd left Nick in charge of watching Greg. He walked into the room to find Greg still asleep, as he expected, but he also found that Nick had cried himself to sleep in Sara's arms. She was stroking his hair gently, trying to comfort him even in his sleep and he held Greg's hand, trying to protect him.
"Hey Gris," Sara whispered, not wanting to disturb the sleeping duo. "I'm guessing you put Catherine and Warrick on the Crane case? And Nicky and I are going to handle anything else that may come up right?"
"You always were smart Sara," Grissom smiled at his former student. He sat down on one the chairs facing the couch so he could see Greg. "Nick's blaming himself for this isn't he? I had a feeling he would feel responsible."
"I think he'll be all right," Sara said, still stroking Nick's hair. "He broke down about a half-hour ago then cried himself to sleep. I was scared we would have to give him one of Greg's sedatives to calm him down but luckily it wasn't necessary. I'm probably going to go home with Nick and Greg, seeing as how neither of them is in any shape to be alone. Have you told Brass what happened yet?"
"Yes," Grissom grimaced as he remembered the conversation he'd had with his friend. "He was extremely shocked to say the least. He's going to try and keep our case load down so Catherine and Warrick can work freely on finding Crane. Ecklie probably won't be too pleased about that but he'll just have to deal."
"Don't speak of people behind their backs Grissom," Ecklie said loudly as he entered the lounge. He didn't notice or didn't care that he woke up Nick with all his clanging around as he got himself a coffee. "One of you want to wake Saunders up for me? I need him to work some overtime."
"He's on sick leave Ecklie," Grissom tried to keep his voice down so as not to wake Greg. "You should have gotten a message from Brass telling you that Greg was ordered by a doctor not to work for a few days. Or did you forget to check your messages again."
"Stop making excuses Grissom," Ecklie made his way over to the couch before anyone could stop him. He didn't notice Greg slowly waking up but grabbed his wrist, intending to pull him to his feet. "Time to work Gregory."
"No, no, not again," Greg whimpered and tried to pull away from Ecklie. Ecklie only tightened his grip and rolled his eyes at what he thought was a lazy lab tech. "No, no, no, no. Someone help. Stop him. Nick? Grissom? Someone help."
"Ecklie get away from him," Grissom growled and forcefully removed Ecklie's grip from Greg's wrist. Greg immediately backed into a corner of the room, tears of fear streaming down his face. "Nick, Sara, take care of Greg. Here are the sedatives just in case. Ecklie, my office now!"
"Greggo, it's okay," Nick crawled over to where Greg was sitting. "You're in the lounge at work. You're safe. No ones going to hurt you. There's only Sara and me here. It's all right. You're safe."
Sara could see that they were not going to be able to calm Greg down by themselves and hoped they could convince him to take a sedative. It was probably the only way they were going to be able to get Greg calm.
"Greggo," Sara slowly approached the sobbing young man with the pill in her hand. She held it out to him, her hand flat so he could see that she wasn't going to try and grab him. "It's Sara, Greg. I need you to take this pill for me all right? It'll make you go to sleep and you'll feel better."
Greg looked at her for a moment before reaching out to take the pill. It took almost a full minute before the sedative to take effect then Greg's eyelids slowly started to close. Within minutes he was asleep again and Nick carried him back over to the couch. He and Sara both hoped this time Greg would have a peaceful sleep.